The Chinese Economists Society (CES) is a non-profit global scholarly organization. Our members share expertise and research interests in China's economy, policies, and development. CES publishes the China Economic Review which enjoys worldwide circulation and has become one of the most authoritative academic publications in English on the Chinese economy. The annual conferences attract participants worldwide.Professional presentations address major economic issues and challenges facing China and the world’s emerging market economies.They consist of work in all major fields of economics, both theoretical and applied.

Invited keynote speakers for this conference include Nobel Laureate Kenneth Arrow (confirmed) of Stanford University, Nobel Laureate James Mirrlees (confirmed) of University of Cambridge, Professor T. Paul Schultz (confirmed) of Yale University, and Mr. Siwei Cheng (to be confirmed), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.

The conference will also provide job placement services for economists.

II. CONFERENCE THEME

CES will dedicate the 2007 conference in Changsha to the theme of "Economic Transition, Regional Growth, and Sustainable Development" with a focus on political and economic forces that promote or hinder the spread of economic growth across all sectors, regions, and demographic groups in transitional economies. This theme is significant and timely from both the research and policy perspectives. China has achieved impressive economic growth in the past several decades. Yet the growth has been accompanied by rapidly rising inequality, which threatens China’s social stability and long-term economic growth.The objective of the conference is to provide a forum for constructive discussions on the theory, estimation, and application of models of global and regional economic growth and development. We encourage submission of papers and sessions that deal not only with China’s economy, but also with transition and emerging market economies throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.

III. SUGGESTED TOPICS (Non-exhaustive)

1. The growth process: sources and limits

-Investment in physical and human capital (broadly defined)

-Infrastructure investment

-Migration of labor and across-region investment

-Foreign Investment

2. Causes, Consequence, and Policy Options of Rising Inequality

-Rural-urban gap: policy options

-Development, transition, and gender inequality

-Decentralization, governance, and regional inequality

-Life-cycle consumption, demographic transition, and old-age security

-Development of western China

3. Institutions to Balance Efficiency and Equity

-Improving education and healthcare systems

-Social safety net and welfare programs

-The role of civil society in poverty reduction

-Mitigating the conflicts between growth and environment

-Local governance and pubic goods provisions

-Social capital, empowerment, and political reforms

-Land rights, property rights, intellectual property, and growth

-Balancing the interests of workers and investors.

-Government policies that promote sustainable growth

-Developing the private sector and reforming the state sector

4. China and the World

-The impact of China’s growth on world factor and product markets

-Improve commercial, banking, contract, and environmental law in China

CES invites submission of papers and organized sessions. Individual paper submissions (in English or Chinese) should include an extended abstract of about 400 words and should be made online at www.china-ces.org. Proposed sessions, including the session title and chair, the names and affiliations of four to five presenters, discussants, and paper titles and abstracts, should be submitted to Professor Belton Fleisher by e-mail at Fleisher@econ.ohio-state.edu (English sessions) and Professor Zhiqiang Liu at zqliu@buffalo.edu (Chinese sessions). Each individual is allowed to submit ONE paper only. High-quality papers presented at the conference will be solicited for consideration for special issues of several renowned domestic and international journals, as well as book volumes in Chinese and English, both subject to the normal refereeing process.

The submission deadline for individual papers and organized sessions is March 15, 2007. Accepted submissions will be notified by March 31, 2007. The completed paper, with an abstract, keywords and JEL classification codes, must be submitted online at www.china-ces.org by July 1, 2007. Otherwise, the paper will be withdrawn from the conference program.

VII. GREGORY CHOW BEST PAPER AWARD

To honor Professor Gregory Chow's (PrincetonUniversity) contribution to CES, the Gregory Chow Best Paper Award (US$1,000 each) has been established to honor 2 outstanding papers presented at the annual CES conferences by junior scholars (graduate students and those who received a PhD within the last five years). The awardee must be an active CES member and the primary author of the paper. Those wishing to compete for the Gregory Chow Best Paper Award should send their completed papers to Professor Penelope Prime by e-mail at prime_pb@mercer.edu by July 1, 2007, with a cover letter stating the intent of applying for the award. For more information, contact Professor Penelope Prime.

VIII. CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

All participants including paper presenters must register for the conference at www.china-ces.org.

The registration fee should be paid in US dollars or RMB at the time of registering for the conference. It covers conference materials, one reception, one banquet, two lunches, coffee/tea breaks, and a trip to Yuelu Academy (optional).

Before July 19

Regular member$135/RMB1080

Non-member$165/RMB1320

Student member$100/RMB800

Student non-member &

Family members of participants$100/RMB800

On-site registration (July 27-30) fee for all participants is $180/RBM1440. After July 19 we no longer process online registration. All registrations are deferred to on-site registration.

Notes: 1. Paper presenters must register by July 1, 2007. Otherwise their papers will be withdrawn from the conference program. 2. Individuals applying for program participation but whose papers are submitted but not accepted for the conference are eligible for refunds. Cancellations must be in writing via e-mail to Professor Belton Fleisher and are subject to a US$20/RMB160 handling fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations after July 1, 2007.

Payment in US dollar can be submitted online with a valid credit card, or with a personal check payable to Chinese Economists Society (address: Chinese Economists Society, Suite 3630, 1080 South University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-106, U.S.A.)

Depending on funding availability, we plan to cover hotel accommodations for registered presenters outside the Changsha area, who are CES members as of July 1, 2007, and whose membership is valid through August 1, 2007. The subsidy is applicable to double occupancy in a standard room in the Yingbin Building of Huatian Hotel (the special rate for the conference is RMB380 Yuan/night) for up to 3 nights starting from July 27, 2007.

The subsidy will be provided to only one author of each accepted paper who is the designated presenter. The amount of subsidy is tentatively set to RMB190 Yuan/night up to 3 nights based on the actual stay. If a participant chooses to stay in an upgraded hotel room, the subsidized amount will be transferred to his/her hotel bill as a credit.

In order to receive a subsidy, the paper must have been submitted to CES per instructions on the conference web site, and the designated presenter must be specified. In this case, the subsidy will be applied to the designated presenter automatically and there is no need to apply. All hotel subsidies will be processed by July 1, 2007. After July 1, 2007, no request for a hotel subsidy will be accepted.

Any questions or requests about the hotel subsidy should be directed to CES Vice President, Professor Belton Fleisher.

XI. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

The CES requires the authors of accepted papers to grant permission to make their papers available for download on the CES web site and for distribution in conference proceedings. This permission shall not imply transfer of copyright or preclude the authors' publishing their work in a refereed journal or as a chapter in a book. Requests to omit your paper from the CES website or the proceedings should be addressed to Belton Fleisher at Fleisher@econ.ohio-state.edu. In no cases will abstracts be exempted from inclusion in the conference proceedings.

All conference papers will be available for participants to download at the CES web site. A paper copy of conference proceedings will be available at a cost. The estimated cost is approximately RMB150 Yuan per copy.